Biaxial Damage Assessment

The structural system under investigation is a frame subject to seismic excitations. The analysis accounts for the spatial distribution of beams, columns and bracing system. It also considers the contribution to the stress distribution of the gravity loads due to the horizontal displacements (P-Δ effect). The procedure is based on stochastic equivalent linearization methods, hysteretic biaxial constitutive laws and stochastic models of the seismic excitation. The reliability analysis requires the introduction of appropriate damage indices accounting for the dissipated energy and the ductility requirements. For structures to be designed, the designer can only act on the cross-section characteristics. The latter case is considered.